Method for registering of token, a token reference register, secure transaction unit, and electronic payment transaction system

Abstract

A method involves registering of a token in an electronic payment transaction system, and a token reference register. A secure transaction unit and an electronic transaction system, such as an electronic payment transaction system, involves aspects of the method and token reference register.

1 . A method for registering of token of an electronic payment transaction system, wherein each token comprises at least a monetary value and a private key of a token-individual key pair as token elements, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving, at a token reference register of the electronic payment transaction system, a registration request, the registration request comprises at least one token reference, wherein each token reference being uniquely assigned to a token, wherein each token reference comprises a hash value that is directly or indirectly derived from the private key of the token-individual key pair as a token reference element;   verifying, by a verification unit of the token reference register, whether at least one criteria in the token reference register is met for the received registration request; and   storing, in a storage unit of the token reference register, the at least one token reference of the received registration request for registering the token uniquely assigned to this token reference, in case the at least one criteria is met for the received registration request.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the token reference comprises a hash value that is directly computed from a public key of the token-individual key pair as the token reference element; or   the token reference comprises a hash value that is directly computed from the private key of the token-individual key pair as the token reference element.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the hash value is derived as a result from a SHA-512-algorithm or a SHA-256-algorithm. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the token reference further comprises the monetary value of the uniquely assigned token; and/or   the received registration request comprises one or more further token reference(s) assigned to further token(s), wherein the further token reference(s) comprises a public key of an token-individual key pair of the further token(s), whereas the token reference(s), which comprise the hash value and is(are) to be stored, do not comprise the (respective) public key of the token-individual key pair of the token.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the registration request is an addition request from a secure token issuing unit of a token issuer of the transaction system, requesting the addition of the token reference of a new token to the token reference register; or
 a replacement registration request from a transaction unit of the transaction system, requesting at least one input token reference, m input token references, stored in the token reference register to be replaced in the token reference register by the at least one token reference to be stored, preferably n output token references.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of verifying comprises:
 verifying whether the at least one token reference to be stored, an output token reference, of the received registration request is not already stored in the storage unit of the token reference register; and/or   verifying whether at least one input token reference(s) of the received registration request is stored in the storage unit of the token reference register; and/or   verifying whether the received registration request is not already stored in an archive of previous registration requests in the token reference register.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the verification unit further verifies the correctness of the received registration request,
 by performing one or more of the following substeps:   for each input/further token reference in the received replacement registration request, the input/further token reference being assigned to an input/further token, verifying whether a signature in the registration request was created by the private key of the respective input/further token; and/or   for each input/further token reference in the received replacement registration request verifying whether the hash value of the input/further token reference can be rederived from the public key included in the received replacement registration request; and/or   verifying whether the received replacement registration request is value-neutral, by comparing the monetary value of (all) input token reference(s) and the monetary value of (all) output token reference(s) of the replacement registration request; and/or   verifying whether the addition registration request is signed by a secure token issuing unit.   
     
     
         8 . A token reference register for registering of token of an electronic payment transaction system, the token reference register being configured to execute the method steps of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . The token reference register of  claim 8 , comprising:
 one or more storage units for storing token references for registering tokens in the electronic payment transaction system;   one or more verification units for a verifying step for the received registration request;   further comprising a new-registration unit for registering of one or more new tokens that are created by a token issuer or for deregistering of one or more old tokens that are deleted by the token issuer; and/or   an archive for previously stored token references and/or previous registration requests.   
     
     
         10 . A secure transaction unit for managing payment transactions in an electronic payment transaction system, the secure transaction unit comprising:
 means for receiving and transmitting one or more tokens, wherein each token comprises at least a monetary value and a private key of a token-individual key pair as token elements; and   control means configured to generate one or more token references, wherein each token reference being uniquely assigned to a token, wherein each token reference comprises a hash value that is directly or indirectly derived from the private key of the token-individual key pair as a token reference element.   
     
     
         11 . The secure transaction unit of  claim 10 , the control means is configured to cause a direct exchange of one or more tokens with one or more other secure transaction units in the electronic transaction system, and send registration requests including the generated token references to a token register of the electronic transaction system for registering the tokens in the electronic payment transaction system. 
     
     
         12 . The secure transaction unit according  claim 10 , wherein the secure transaction unit is a secure element that is operatively connected to an electronic equipment of a participant in the electronic payment system; or
 wherein the secure transaction unit is a secure wallet that is hosted at a service provider unit.   
     
     
         13 . The secure transaction unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the control means is configured to access a token storage, a token storage (SPU-Vault) of the secure transaction unit. 
     
     
         14 . The secure transaction unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the token reference comprises a hash value that is directly computed from the private key of the token-individual key pair as a token reference element or that is directly computed from a public key of the token-individual key pair as a token reference element, the hash value being derived as a result from a SHA-512-algorithm or a SHA-256-algorithm. 
     
     
         15 . An electronic payment transaction system comprising:
 a secure token issuing unit comprising:   a minting unit configured to generate a new token to be issued in the electronic transaction system; and   a melting unit configured to delete tokens to be deleted from the electronic transaction system;   a plurality of secure transaction units according to  claim 9 ; and   one or more token register for registering the tokens of the electronic transaction system.